Assembly or Dissection?

Sometimes the assembly process actually looks more like a dissection...

 This adorable Ballerina Mouse is well on her way to being completed.

Crochet sections are done and I just need to source some ribbon

 for the ballet shoes and then I will begin attaching all the little parts.

The body construction is unusual, in that both ends are closed...

which means that the closed head needs to be attached to the closed neck.

I think that every other toy I have ever worked on had an open neck, which the head sat on.

I'll let you know how it goes!

More Unicorns.

These unicorns are fiddly but fun to make...

I thought that my sewing technique might improve with each one, and the process would become less awkward - but it hasn't yet...

Maybe I need to be more patient.

One thing I am noticing, is that these fabric toys don't seem to develop a personality of their own in the same way that the knitted and crochet ones do...

Not sure why that is.

It might just be because I'm concentrating so hard on getting it all put together just right, that I'm not allowing the toy to take on a life of it's own.

Or maybe I'm just over thinking things... Sometimes I do that!

And here they are as a family:

Unicorn.

Way back in June, I posted about receiving bags and bags of crafting goodies from my friend Leah. Mostly it was fabrics, the bulk of which were upholstery samples...

I knew that I wanted to make some adorable toys from them - and finally I have the first one ready to show you...

A precious unicorn!

Dead Heads

I don't really know what they are...

Or what they're meant to be...

But they are DEAD.

 

And they have HEADS... 

So I'm calling them DEAD HEADS!

 

And they're loads of fun to make...

baa-baa the sheep

I discovered another new group over at Ravelry, called Plush

This group is for plush-makers and general lovers and fans of plush toys and objects. If you create plush using needlework of any kind - crochet, knitting, felting, sewing, etc. then join us and let's talk plush!

The group has just started out this month. The plan is to run a 'plush-a-long' challenge each month. I'm up for that! I love working on toys, and am especially keen to do some more designing and pattern writing in that field.

June's challenge has been to 'make a sheep'

So I'd like you to meet my little friend...



Of course he is made entirely from reclaimed yarns. I plan on making a few modifications on the design, and then the pattern will be available.